chapter 29

Despite me returning home after one month, my parent’s reaction was somewhat indifferent .

They said something like ‘You’re already back?’

Well, my parents were like this since forever, so it doesn’t really affect me . However, they seemed to have been more or less worried, for they kept asking me about my solitary journey .

I evaded my parents with any made-up story that seemed suitable, then I started working on my mountain-like amount of homework .

I called Tsurugi the first time in a long time .

I called to ask him to let me copy his homework since I was really in trouble with mine .

Unfortunately, my last ray of hope was useless . He was currently traveling, so he wasn’t in town . Apparently, he returns the day after tomorrow .

In this case, I had to rely on Rin who lived close to me, but she didn’t work on her homework either .

In the last day of summer vacation, which is the day after tomorrow, it seems that a homework final stage meeting will take place at Tsurugi’s house . I was also invited, but I don’t feel like going .

I must spend the day after tomorrow with Roll .

It’s not like I made a promise or anything . I simply decided to do so .

It may be the work of my feelings of atonement .

If I spend the remaining two days doing things with Roll, I bet she’ll help me with my homework . This was also my original goal, so it’s perfect .

However, the reason why I tried to rely on someone other than Roll was because I wanted to be sneaky .

Roll will surely explain things patiently to me .

But what I want is the answers .

If I am to seriously challenge absolutely everything in the text book and reference book, it will take a considerable amount of time .

Simply put, I wanted to be set free from this anxiety generator by quickly copying everything I needed .

Roll will definitely help me, but she won’t let me copy .

Aah, summer vacation ends in two days .

95% of my summer vacation was spent in the Basara Desert .

When thinking that the second year of high school summer vacation comes only once in a student’s life, I really used my time on sad things .

Thinking about these things, I decided that I will do my homework casually, since this is nothing but something that eats up my time .

My work continued until late in the night; it was already two in the morning when I stopped .

___________

The next morning, when I woke up, I had a message on my private phone . It was from Roll .

‘Shall I help you with your homework?’

This was the content .

I saw it and groaned . If she lets me copy her homework, I can finish everything in about half a day, but I don’t know whether she’ll agree or not .

Well, since Tsurugi is not around to help me with this, I have no other choice .

In case it looks like I won’t be finishing on time, Roll will have to ultimately let me copy hers . Still, I will try asking her first .

And so, I sent Roll a message saying ‘Please do . ’

Roll’s answer was quick . It said ‘Then, let’s meet in my room . ’; after I checked it, I prepared my stuff and left the house .

On my way to the secret base, I encountered a certain person .

Ohashi Hitomi . She’s Tsurugi’s childhood friend and the school’s madonna . By the way, she’s not my type .

“Kamiya-kun, it’s been a while . We last saw each other at the closing ceremony . Are you going somewhere?”

“Ohashi? Yeah, it’s been a long time . I’m going somewhere to finish my homework .

Aside from this, I heard that Tsurugi is traveling . Didn’t you and your family go together with them?”

“This year, our families traveled separately . ”

“Hmm . ”

I was quite sure that she was traveling together with Tsurugi, but it seems that it wasn’t the case .

Tsurugi and Ohashi’s families have a very close relationship, and they sometimes travel together . Every year, because of this, Rin feels left aside and complains about it but, apparently, this established practice didn’t take place this year .

Kazato won’t have to listen to his childhood friend’s unreasonable insults this year . That’s helpful .

“By the way, during the summer vacation, you traveled alone, right, Kamiya-kun? Where did you go?”

I thought that I could avoid this question until school started, but it, in fact, assailed me at this time .

I wanted to prepare a proper horror story for them, but I haven’t made it up yet so I opened my mouth in order to evade the question .

“I haven’t traveled that far . It’s such a close place that if I were to tell you you’ll feel disappointment . ”

“Eeh, I see . When the school starts you’ll have to tell us! Sorry, I have an appointment with a friend, so I have to go . See you and good luck with your homework!”

Ohashi said and waved to me .

“All right . See you . ”

I returned the wave then Ohashi turned her head, her black pony-tail swinging, and left towards somewhere .

I didn’t wait to see her off and I immediately started walking towards the secret base once again .

Still, Ohashi is quite impressive . She is kind towards everyone and this makes her very popular, but her only fault is that she’s helplessly in love with Tsurugi .

Yeah, excepting the fact that she thoroughly breaks the hearts of all sorts of guys, she has nothing but good points .

Tsurugi, Ohashi, Rin . When these three get together, for me, they become an unawarely harmful and troublesome group .

But still, it’s true that these three helped me a lot .

Since our class’ central figures Tsurugi, Ohashi and Rin were normals, they also accepted me in their circle and I didn’t feel persecuted at all inside the school .

To be more precise, Rin is not a normal, but her ability is so useless that it doesn’t make much of a difference .

You often heard from other grades and classes that normal people get bullied a lot, but now that Tsurugi, Ohashi and Rin are famous across the entire school for varied reasons, because stories about them being normals have spread, the bullying also stopped .

It seems that no one wants to make an enemy of these three .

Now that I’ve developed an ability, leaving Ohashi and Rin aside, I do feel somewhat sorry for Tsurugi .

It’s not about my guilty conscience for killing people or the fact that I am now a member of the Anonymous, but for some reason I feel that I’ve betrayed him .

At this point, I can’t even go to him for advice anymore…… . .

As I thought about these things, I arrived at the café which was the entrance to the secret base .

I passed the usual password to the master, then I went to the basement .

Comparing to the first time I came here, I can now go directly to Roll’s room without losing my way .

Once I got to her front door, I knocked .

“You can come in . ”

Her voice could be heard from inside, and I opened the door .

Because of the air conditioning, the inside of the room was cooler than the outside, and Roll wore long sleeves . She lay down on top of the bed, watching TV .

“Morning . ”

“Morning . You’re using too much air conditioning in this room . ”

Once I stepped inside the room, I placed my stuff of the table and sat down on a chair .

“I kind of feel lazy . ”

Roll said and turned off the TV, then she stood up .

She then sat down on a chair on the opposite side of me, and rested her elbows on the table .

“So, I’ll help you with your homework . You’re in trouble, aren’t you?”

“I’m in very much trouble . ”

Saying this, I took out the text book in which I had homework left .

“Only that?”

“Yeah . I worked a lot yesterday . ”

“Humph . Still, you’ve got left the most tiresome ones . ”

Roll frowned a little .

Since Roll says that these problems are tiresome, maybe she’ll let me copy them if I ask her .

I’m betting on this possibility .

“So, I have a favor to ask…… . ”

I timidly opened my mouth .

“What? I won’t let you copy my answers . It won’t do you any good after all, Shion . ”

“Can’t you overlook it this time…… . . ”

“No . ”

She clearly declined my request, and I clicked my tongue inside my head . There’s no way she’ll let me copy .

But since I betrayed Roll this whole summer vacation, I should probably just follow her rules obediently…… .

At least during the last day, I really wanted to go out with Roll, even if only for a mission .

“Sigh, understood . I’ll do it then .

But I really wanted to go out with you…… Maybe make some summer vacation memories or something…… After all, I haven’t done even one mission with you during this whole time . ”

“…… . . Eh?”

But it can’t be helped . I can’t blame Tameiki-san either .

Well, I’ll have many chances to go out with Roll from now on anyway, so I’ll just give up for now .

“…… . I’ll work on it seriously . Please explain me the problems I don’t understand . ”

I opened the text book at the first page and immediately started to solve the problems .

However, Roll placed her hand with a boom right on top of that text book .

“Wait a second . ”

I looked up at Roll . Doing so, I saw a conflicted expression on her face as she rubbed her chin with her other hand .

“Wh-what happened?”

I asked, and Roll took out her text book from her school bag and placed it on the table .

“…… . Since it can’t be helped, I’ll let you copy this time . ”

“For real!? Eh? Why?”

“You trained continuously, Shion, so I thought that you should have fun at least during the last vacation day .

Besides, I wanted to apologize for that wound…… . . ”

I touched the wound on my neck . It still gives me a stinging pain from time to time . It’s the scratch wound that Roll gave me .

“You shouldn’t worry about this . I was also in the wrong .

I’d rather say that we should let that matter go . ”

“You’re right……”

“But I’ll gladly accept your offer . As I thought, it’s really great to have a partner . ”

I said and laughed .

“Is-is that so?”

Without delay, I opened the text book and started copying Roll’s answers .

“How should I put it, you’re somewhat kind, you know that, Roll?”

Still, she becomes quite scary if you provoke her…… .

“It does you no good to compliment me . ”

Even though she said that, her laughter felt a little awkward . Since this Roll was adorable, my motivation for finishing this homework went up .

Well, I’m only copying answers though .

After that, I completed my homework as I chatted with Roll . Time passed rather fast, and because I combined work with chatting, I only finished my homework at about 8 in the evening .